Chapter 1 – The King of Eclipse

Before sunrise...

The entire top floor of Eclipse Corporation was silent.

No employee dared to make unnecessary noise.

No one wanted to attract the attention of the man sitting behind the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Adrian Ashford.

At just thirty years old, he had built Eclipse Corporation into one of the three most powerful business empires in the world.

His expression remained indifferent as he read through a stack of acquisition reports.

Knock... Knock...

Alen entered after receiving permission.

"Young Master."

Adrian didn't look up.

"Speak."

Alen placed a black file on the desk.

"The negotiations with the Westhaven Consortium are complete."

"They accepted?"

"Yes."

"They had no choice."

Adrian signed the final page without even reading it.

Another company had fallen under the Ashford Empire.

For him...

It was just another ordinary morning.

---

Meanwhile...

At Ashford Manor...

Victor Ashford sat at the head of the enormous dining table.

Dante and Elena had already arrived with Cassian and Valerian.

A few moments later...

Leonarda walked in lazily, carrying a laptop under one arm.

"Morning, Father."

Victor nodded.

"Where's Adrian?"

Before anyone could answer...

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Adrian entered the dining room in a perfectly tailored black suit.

Everyone began eating.

Although the atmosphere was quiet...

It wasn't uncomfortable.

This was simply how the Ashford family interacted.

Cassian broke the silence.

"Uncle Adrian."

Adrian looked at him.

"The university is holding an international business competition next month."

"Hm."

"I'll represent the university."

Adrian calmly replied,

"Win."

Cassian smiled faintly.

"I wasn't planning to lose."

Victor looked at his eldest grandson with approval.

"That's the spirit of an Ashford."

Valerian grinned.

"If Brother loses, I'll hack the scoreboard."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Rian."

"...I was joking."

Leonarda smirked.

"Were you?"

Valerian coughed awkwardly while everyone else continued eating as if nothing had happened.

---

At that moment...

Alen's phone vibrated.

His relaxed expression instantly disappeared.

He answered the call.

"...What?"

Silence filled the dining room.

His face became unusually serious.

"I understand."

He ended the call before looking at Victor.

"Master..."

"The Black Serpent Syndicate has been attacked."

Dante frowned.

"They're one of the strongest organizations in Europe."

Alen nodded.

"They were destroyed overnight."

Everyone became silent.

Adrian finally spoke.

"Who did it?"

Alen slowly opened the tablet in his hands.

"There was only one symbol left at every destroyed base."

He placed the tablet on the table.

Everyone looked at the screen.

It showed a crimson emblem.

A blooming red spider lily stained with blood.

Underneath it were four words.

"From the Crimson Phantom."

Leonarda's playful expression disappeared.

"I've never seen this emblem before."

Dante folded his arms.

"Neither have I."

Even Victor's eyes narrowed.

For the first time in years...

An unknown force had appeared.

One powerful enough to erase an entire syndicate in a single night.

Adrian stared silently at the crimson emblem.

His ruby-red eyes grew colder.

"Find them."

Alen nodded immediately.

"Yes, Young Master."

No one in the room realized...

Far away, in another city...

A woman with long dark black hair and crystal - Ocean Voilet eyes stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of a luxurious office.

On the screen behind her was the same crimson spider lily emblem.

She watched the sunrise without a trace of emotion.

A woman in a black suit entered quietly.

"Boss."

"The Ashford Family has begun investigating us."

The woman smiled ever so slightly.

"Good."

"It seems..."

"The Ashfords are finally paying attention."

Her cold voilet eyes reflected the rising sun.

"The game begins now."

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